"Before we devised artificial lights and atmospheric pollution and modern forms of nocturnal entertainment we watched the stars. There were practical calendar reasons of course but there was more to it than that. Even today the most jaded city dweller can be unexpectedly moved upon encountering a clear night sky studded with thousands of twinkling stars. When it happens to me after all these years it still takes my breath away." -Carl Sagan For all of human history, we’ve battled against the limitations of our bodies and the natural world. That’s led to the development of artificial lighting: from fire to modern electric and LED lights. Despite being able to see our surroundings much more clearly at all hours regardless of the Moon or the clouds, we’ve also lost something spectacular: the night skies themselves. A composite image of the Earth at night, with data from 1994/1995. Image credit: Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC, with data from Marc Imhoff of … [Read more...] about What light pollution costs us every night (Synopsis)
Modern forms lighting
Illuminating the future of interior lighting
Elaine Markoutsas Universal Uclick Published 7:11 PM EST Jan 17, 2019 In the most soigne magazine spreads, and at designer show houses, hotels and major retailers all over the world, lighting has become much more than a footnote. It can be a tour de force. Thousands of pieces of porcelain flutter like birds from the ceiling to the ground floor in a multistory stairway, commanding as much attention as a Dale Chihuly sculpture. Feathery poufs stretch across a dining table, an ethereal glow within. Light shines through pastel glass lamps to create an enchanting scene. Sometimes edgy and often brilliant, modern lighting designs go beyond lighting a room. About four years ago, the French brand Blackbody lit the way to innovation at the Maison et Objet trade show in Paris. An overhead constellation dazzled, in a sinuous composition of staggered-height OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes). It was unlike what designers had seen before, … [Read more...] about Illuminating the future of interior lighting
Immersive show uses lasers, lights and music to tell the story of the Sistine Chapel
This piece originally aired on March 27, 2018 A new show in Rome is bringing history to life. The production uses lasers, lights, a theme song by Sting and a thunderous sound system to add a distinctly modern dimension to a story that's roughly 500 years old: Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Images fill the theater, just down the road from the Chapel, in an immersive experience that even its creative director Marco Balich has a hard time describing. "It's easier to say what it's not. There is ballet, but it's not ballet. There is a lot of beautiful music by John Metcalf and Sting but it's not a musical – it's a very technological show," Balich told CBS News' Seth Doane. He treated Michelangelo as a sort of superhero whose frescos – in digital form – turn Rome's former symphony hall into a second Sistine Chapel. Balich has had some practice staging a spectacle, most notably the closing ceremony of the Sochi Olympic Games. "Usually we do a … [Read more...] about Immersive show uses lasers, lights and music to tell the story of the Sistine Chapel
Earth’s first life forms played it cool in deep ocean, Stanford study finds
By Steve Rubenstein Updated 3:02 pm PST, Wednesday, December 12, 2018 A sea anemone, which Stanford researchers Tom Boag and Erik Sperling were able to study sea anenome to find that complex organisms developed in the cold, stable waters of the deep ocean half a billion years ago. (File photo) less A sea anemone, which Stanford researchers Tom Boag and Erik Sperling were able to study sea anenome to find that complex organisms developed in the cold, stable waters of the deep ocean half a billion years ... more Photo: Courtesy NOAA/MBARI / Courtesy NOAA/MBARI Photo: Courtesy NOAA/MBARI / Courtesy NOAA/MBARI Image 1 of / 43 Caption Close Image 1 of 43 A sea anemone, which Stanford researchers Tom Boag and Erik Sperling were able to study sea anenome to find that complex organisms … [Read more...] about Earth’s first life forms played it cool in deep ocean, Stanford study finds
Film review: Mirai is an enchanting portrait of modern family life
A FOUR-year-old boy learns touching lessons about sharing his parents' love with a newly arrived baby sister in Japanese writer-director Mamoru Hosoda's poignant animated drama.Mirai is an enchanting portrait of modern family life rooted in universal truths about the jealousy which bubbles beneath the surface of almost every sibling bond.I (regretfully) recognised some of the lead character's frustrations and simmering resentment from my own formative years with a boisterous younger brother, who advocated being seen and heard from an early age.Hosoda navigates choppy emotional waters with a deft touch, unearthing compassion and flecks of gentle humour in characters' confusion and distress.His script introduces fantastical flourishes to shepherd the inquisitive infant protagonist on a journey of self-realisation, enriched with gorgeous hand-drawn animation.The four-year-old's first encounter with falling snowflakes is beguiling but Mirai withholds its piece de resistance until the final … [Read more...] about Film review: Mirai is an enchanting portrait of modern family life